Contents

Idealists Haven started as the "Haven for the FBI's Most Unwanted" at a Simplenet site (now offline) in 1998.

JenRose was one of the archivists.

It was originally known as a shipper-focused spoilers and media site, and had simple web message board interface with a single message board which was known for its shipper-focused discussions.

As the site grew in popularity, more message boards were added, including a shipper board, a spoilers board, and a fan fiction board. All boards continued to be shipper-focused, although the fan fiction board started to slowly move away from that foundation as general fan fiction discussion started to consolidate there.

Around 2000, the majority of the fiction-related discussion in the community moved off of ATXC, and over to the Idealists Haven message boards.

In 2001, the site moved to its current home at http://www.idealistshaven.com/. The boards were upgraded to a full-fledged web message forum and grew so popular that they made up the majority of the traffic to the site.

After a server crash in 2003, only the message boards were restored. Through today, the message boards remain an active location for X-Files discussion on the web.

Focus

Its motto: "An exploration of a partnership where truth is the journey, trust is bedrock, and love pervades all."

The fiction archived and recced there was always MSR, often fluffy, and was focused on the romance.

Controversy

I frequent an X-Files discussion board called Haven when I'm in the mood to procrastinate. I've never posted there because the level of discussion is typically "Cuz Mulder and Scully shud be in luv 4EVA!!!!!", but I find lurking enjoyable from time to time. Well, the X-Files version of Munchausen by Internet ala Kaycee Nicole hit the boards in June. I found it fascinating and mystifying. [...] So word came on the boards in late June that another fanfic writer, Evie Whiting, 22, married and recently the mother of twin babies, was dying of pneumonia in Australia. Her husband, Adam, posted the news that she had died and posted her farewell message to the board. The Havenites quickly rallied and began planning a fundraising drive for her family. [...] And with that first shot, the firestorm was unleashed. Bitter, recriminative posts flooded the boards, full of rage that their emotions had been so manipulated. Adam responded bitterly, then someone posted claiming to be Evie's sister. [1]

[dashakay]: As a queer woman who remembers all too well how ridiculously homophobic X-Files fandom could be back in the day (let’s not even discuss the time I came out on Haven because it was awful), I don’t want my blog to ever be a place where queer and trans people feel unsafe. Ever. [2]

[badforthefish]: I respectfully disagree with the notion that the fandom of old was a nicer place. I remember the flame wars, the nasty stuff that happened during [[The Wicked X Witches of Badfic Punishment|The Witches controversy]], the name calling…. etc, the authors who got blacklisted for daring to write Doggett and so on. There was condescending behaviour then, groups who badmouthed other groups, people being clickey or being accused of being clickey. These things are not new and tend to repeat themselves. I remember meeting many people at the 2008 London IWTB premiere who told me they’d left Haven for Live Journal because they got their head bitten off for disagreeing with the board’s divas or simply for speaking their mind. There was IMO way more drama in the newsgroups and boards than there is now. I find the this year’s fandom crop much more civilized, considerate and kind, (but maybe I’m simply not following the people who aren’t) Haven for instance is a much friendlier place than it ever was, imo. But I guess we all experience the fandom in different ways. I follow this simple rule... [3]

In previous years, snoggers had not always been as closeted away as they were post-series. The loudest snoggers were not pleasant jokey ironic fun people imbibing the tacit etiquette of 2010s-era Real People Fandom. Their treatment of the actors was often so dehumanizing, foul, misogynistic, and otherwise unhinged, that places like Haven actively policed discussion of DD and GA and their relationship, and this attitude spread in other fan spaces, too. [4]

Message Board FAQs

Guidelines and FAQ for all the Discussion Boards:

1. We are all to be respectful towards each other (no flaming allowed).

2. In deference to some of the poster's here, keep all discussions PG-13

3. Delete the previous post in all responses (except for the logical exception of small bits quoted and responded to here and there).

4. The boards are not for discussing the actors and their personal lives.

PLEASE NOTE: Inappropriate posts (e.g.. those that are wildly off topic, offensive, or contain unverified spoiler information) will be deleted;

Shipper Board Guidelines:

1. This board welcomes posts of any kind with regards to the Mulder/Scully dynamic, mythology, conspiracy, and science of The X-Files.

2. This board is primarily for discussing episodes after their North American air date. Discussions concerning spoilers should remain on spoiler page, but if discussing a spoiler can't be avoided then put (sp) in the message heading. Do not reveal spoiler in message heading.

Spoiler Board Guidelines:

1. In order to attempt to limit to "spoilers" rather than rumor, please discuss only spoilers that Amy has posted on her spoiler pages. New spoilers will always be posted on the Whats New Page as they are added to their respective spoiler pages.

2. If you have a new spoiler, please send it to her at Amy. After the spoiler is confirmed you will be credited as the source.

Fanfic Board Guidelines:

1. Board is only to be used to discuss X-Files fan fiction

2. Criticms of ANY written work must be constructive or they will be deleted.

3. If looking for a Beta reader, feel free to post that, you may also want to email Amy

F.A.Q.

1. Typing in all caps is considered shouting and may be interpreted as rude. Please reserve for extremly important posts

2. The Acronyms (thanks to Vermin).

BTW - By The Way

DAL - Deep Abiding Love

*g* - grin

GTM - Gratuitous Touching Moment

ICAM - I Couldn't Agree More

IMHO - In My Humble Opinion

ITA - I Totally Agree

KAMSR - Kissing Around MSR

LOL - Laugh Out Loud

MSR - Mulder-Scully Relationship

NM - No Message

OMG - Oh My God

TmTT - Too much Testosterone Theory

TPTB - The Powers That Be

UST - Unresolved Sexual Tension

ROTFL - Roll On The Floor Laughing

ROTFLMAO - ROll On The Floor Laughing My Ass Off

RST - Resolved Sexual Tension

SP - Spoiler

3. What's a spoiler? Information about the events in unaired episodes. Spoilers are not rumors (e.g.. Whether or not actors have on-set fights, etc.)

4. I have a spoiler Amy hasn't posted! What do I do? Send it to Amy so it can be confirmed. She will credit you when the spoilers are posted.

Hopefully these guidelines and FAQ's will help keep us all on the same page. Thanks so much to Vermin, Peanut, and Beaker for writting [sic] these. [5]